Shaping Cancer Clinic: Live - The impact of patient insightShaping Cancer Clinic: Live - The impact of patient insight
In December, our Stand Up To Cancer campaign came to a fantastic close with a live event on Channel 4. It marked the end of a huge joint effort between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, all focused on work that has the power to save lives.
This year, we encouraged people to visit our new cancer screening checker website, designed to help individuals understand whether cancer screening might be right for them, alongside our usual fundraising appeal. So far, the site has been visited more than 140,000 times and has also received support from the NHS and His Majesty the King in a personal message broadcast during the night of Stand Up To Cancer programming on Channel 4.
Working together to develop ‘Cancer Clinic Live’
A highlight of the live show was a documentary Cancer Clinic: Live, hosted by Davina McCall and filmed live at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. It offered an honest look at what happens inside cancer clinics, helping to reduce fear and encourage people to seek support when they need it.
Our Policy and Communications Cancer Insights Panel played an important role in shaping this segment of the show. They worked closely with the Stand Up To Cancer team, sharing their experiences, feedback, and key questions with HiddenLight, the production company behind the documentary. Their input helped ensure the feature felt authentic and truly reflected what cancer patients experience today.
How patient involvement shaped the programme
The Cancer Insights Panel played an important role in shaping Cancer Clinic: Live, ensuring the programme was sensitive, realistic and genuinely reflective of patient experiences. Their questions and feedback directly influenced several key areas:
Real‑world experiences: Feedback was shared with producers to ensure patient stories could naturally reflect real barriers such as waiting times or access challenges, where relevant.
Family perspectives: The panel highlighted the importance of including loved ones’ experiences, which was reflected through interviews with relatives and partners.
Representation: The panel’s push for diversity fed into the committed effort to include patients of different ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds, despite local demographic challenges.
Accessibility: Following panel questions, the team confirmed the programme would include British Sign Language interpretation and subtitles.
Support and safety: The panel’s emphasis on emotional wellbeing fed into the robust plans for sensitive handling of content, appropriate broadcast timing, and the inclusion of support services (Nurses, Supporter Services and Cancer Chat) during the show.
Transparency: Producers agreed with the need to clearly explain why Cambridge Addenbrooke’s Hospital was chosen, how the live setup works, and to ensure viewers understood the importance of seeing a GP for symptoms, not relying solely on screening.
Accuracy and clarity: The panel’s concerns about the title and potential confusion were considered, with producers emphasising the need for a clear, transparent name that reflects both screening and symptomatic journeys.